Musings, published a few times every week, are my attempt at sharing diverse perspectives to help us better navigate our lives.
The key theme I explore is how can we progress towards achieving our potential, and thereby become more accomplished & secure. Some of these ideas come from my own experience, while others come from a thorough study of management research & leadership books, perspectives from science, arts, history, and discussions with industry practitioners across sectors & functions.
Is Prepartion over rated @ Work
Almost all of us walk into some of the biggest roles in our life without any preparation. Be it as a spouse, a parent, a caregiver. We seem to fare decently, generation after generation, in learning and performing these role without much preparedness.
HiRing for culture is a double edged sword
Hiring for cultural fit is something a lot of firms talk about. Some do it consciously through extensive culture focused interview rounds, while others do it more passively relying on the interviewer to sift out those that may not fit well in the org.
3 Pillars of Professional Life
EQ, IQ and Discipline are the three pillars of our professional life. The more equilateral they are the more sustainable our success.
All Work and No Play, Makes Jack a Dull Boy
A lot of people seem to be feeling stuck. This feeling of langushing and frustration that's rampant as we WFH is not driven by excess of work, but rather more work together with no outlet to unwind.
Feedback the Right WaY
Most people are resilient and open to change, if we can give feedback in the right way.
Feedback Vs. Performance Assessment
At times we fail to distinguish between feedback and performance assessments, using them interchangeably. The result is often delayed feedback, shared once or twice a year during reviews, that’s viewed by the employee as a fault finding exercise. Equally, the manager feels disgruntled as they see resistance in acceptance to the combined review/ feedback.
Pulling Rank Doesn’t Help
If Rank has to be used consistently in conversations for decision making, it is a clear bellwether that something is broken in the team/ organization.
What's your Ulysses Contract
What's Your Ulysses Contract
Story of the Trojan war winning Greek warrior, Ulysses, has some key learnings for us as we manage our careers. He pioneered the concept of the Ulysses contract that refers to the deal between your present self and future self.
Bide your Time
I remember this one incident that had happened many years ago. We were to have new super boss join our business unit. I and my boss came up with what seemed like a great idea to establish our credibility with the new leader - to do a white paper on something.
Persevere Vs. Cut your losses
Early on in my career, I struggled to understand the difference between when to persevere VS. when to let go & cut your losses. Over time the lines have become less blurry, though still subjective.
Anxiety is Personal
When we experience anxiety or depression, sometimes nothing around us has changed BUT a lot inside us changes.
Sometimes Change Does’t ChanGe Much
Yesterday I was chatting with a friend.
He was grateful to be have come out unscathed from the two COVID waves.
Quickly, the conversation digressed into how stuck he was feeling, holed up indoors for literally 16 months now. The working hours had increased, and so had the household responsibilities with schooling, cleaning, cooking being split by the couple.
Mistakes is not what define us
We all make mistakes. It's not whether we make a mistake, but how we show up, own it and fix it that makes the difference.
Is Reality Singular?
We always believe that there is a singular truth to our circumstances and reality is how we see it. This creates an illusion of objectively viewing things.
Peer Litmus Test
How we come across to our peers is a good litmus test for measuring our readiness for the next level. The more open minded, collaborative (or not), and fair we are, the greater our readiness and chances for a promotion. For it takes content, humility and willingness to look at the bigger organizational picture vs. your own goals, to be respected by peers.
The Invisible Hand
Invisible hand is there not only in economics but our professional journeys as well. Sometimes, we get the right break or end up meeting the right people that propels us. Equally, there are times when we have done our best, yet things seem to be falling apart.
The Messenger Matters @ Work
At work the messenger matters as much as the message!
When giving feedback or even appreciation, choosing the messenger is critical.
